Modern Au: When The Storm Breaks

Modern au: When the Storm Breaks

Pairings: Jacaerys Targaryen/Cregan Stark, Rhaenyra Targaryen/Harwin Strong, Rhaenys Targaryen/Corlys Velaryon

Cregan and Jace have been married for a couple years when tragedy strikes. Jace's brother, Luke, is killed in a car accident. From the moment they got the news, Jace barely cries. He buries himself into being strong for his family and planning Luke's funeral. Cregan stays by his side the whole time, trying his best to help. Everyone is worried Jace is carrying too much on his shoulders and that he's going to explode soon. Their fears become reality when Jace has a full-blown mental breakdown at the funeral. Jace's family and his husband rally around him. Afterwards he apologizes for making a scene. Everyone tells him that he has every right to upset and that he doesn't have to be strong all the time.

(cw: character death, graphic language, grief, unhealthy coping mechanisms)

Notes: This takes place in modern day New York. Rhaenyra and Harwin are married. Aegon III and Viserys II are Harwin's sons, but they get their looks from Rhaenyra. All the age gaps are closed in this story. Cregan and Jace are the same age, Rhaenyra and Harwin are only like 3 or 4 years apart. Laena is Rhaenyra's best friend here not Alicent, because I didn't want to touch that situation. Helaena is the only green that makes an appearance because I love her. Laenor and Daemon also aren't mentioned in this story. Do with that what you will.

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Jacaerys Targaryen and Cregan Stark had built a life together that was rooted in love, trust, and mutual support. They met in college, when Jace was getting his MBA and Cregan was getting a bachelor’s degree in architecture. Until then, neither of them had believed in love at first sight, but in that moment, love was the only thing that came to mind. They dated all throughout college, receiving their respective degrees with honors. Jace’s parents, Rhaenyra and Harwin, threw a grand graduation party at their home. However, Jace was the only one unaware that this party was also an engagement party. Once everyone important to them had arrived, Cregan got down on one knee and asked Jace to make him the happiest man in the world. Jace accepted with tears in his eyes. Their wedding was a sight to behold, a perfect blend of extravagance and sentiment. They vowed to be there for each other for every moment of their lives, no matter how painful. After four years of marriage, they had faced their share of challenges, but none had been as shattering as the phone call that came one quiet evening.

Jace was in the kitchen, preparing dinner, while Cregan relaxed on the couch, engrossed in a book. The shrill ring of Jace's phone broke the silence. It was from Baela, Jace's favorite cousin. Jace and Baela were very close, but they hadn’t spoken in a while, feeling they didn’t have much to share with each other. When she called out of nowhere, Jace thought she had something exciting to tell him. 

“Hey Baela, how are you?” He answered cheerfully. 

“Hi Jace.” Baela said, her voice shaking, barely above whisper.

“Is everything okay?” There was silence on the other end. 

Cregan could sense the tension and looked from his book. “Who’s that baby?”

Jace moved the food off the stove and walked over. “It’s Baela,” he whispered. 

“Is that Cregan?” She asked in an abrupt manner.

“Yeah.” Jace said.

“Can you put the phone on speaker, you both need to hear this.”

Jace did as he was asked, placing his phone on the coffee table, “Okay, Baela what going on, you’re kind of scaring me now.” 

Baela took a deep breath before continuing, "Jace, it's about Luke.” 

“What about Luke?” Jace asked, fear washing over him. 

They could hear Baela start to cry on the other end, “There…There’s been….. an accident. I’m so sorry Jace. He's... he's gone."

Jace’s breath hitched. He and his husband sat there frozen, Baela’s soft cries coming from below them. 

“What? What happened?” Jace questioned. The room seemed to close in around them as the reality of the situation sunk in.

“He… he was driving home for a visit when .... a truck sideswiped him. He hit a wall and…. first responders couldn’t get to him in time.” 

Jace could hear Baela talking to them. He could feel his husband grab his hand. But all of that seemed to fade away with the thoughts whirling through his mind. 

"I'm so sorry, Jace," Cregan whispered, his heart aching for his husband.

Jace sat frozen once again, his eyes were unfocused. He didn't cry, didn't scream. He just nodded and took a deep breath. 

"What about my parents? Do they know yet?"

“We’re at their house right now. My mom was with yours when she got the call. They didn’t know how to tell you so I offered to do it. They’re…. heartbroken, but we’re here to help them.”

“Thank you.” Jace muttered.

“That goes for you too, if you need anything, please come to us Jace.”

“Okay. Goodbye Baela.”

“Bye.” 

Crega pulled Jace into a tight hold. “I’m so sorry baby.” He offered. But Jace shifted in his arms, pulling back. He looked as if he were in some sort of trance. 

“I need to get home.” He announced. “My family needs me.” 

The days that followed were a blur of grief and responsibility. From the moment they got the news, Jace seemed to switch into autopilot. He threw himself into planning Luke's funeral, his focus solely on being the pillar of strength his family needed. He promised his parents that they didn’t have to worry about anything while he was there. He coordinated with funeral directors, arranged flowers, and meticulously chose every detail, ensuring that his brother would be honored in the best way possible.

Cregan watched his husband with growing concern. Jace was handling everything with a stoic determination that bordered on obsessiveness. He knew Jace was hurting, but he seemed unwilling or unable to express his grief. Every time Cregan tried to talk to him about it, Jace would deflect, insisting that there was too much to do.

"Jace, honey, you need to slow down and let yourself grieve, let yourself feel something," Cregan urged one evening, gently touching his arm. "It's okay to cry, to be upset."

Jace shook his head, his expression resolute. "I don't have time for that, Cregan. My family needs me." That phrase had become Jace’s mantra over the last week. At night, he would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, while Cregan held him, hoping that the physical closeness would provide some sort of comfort.

Jace's family was just as worried. At first, Rhaenyra was eternally grateful for her son's strength at this terrible time. But she quickly realized what was happening to her son, her whole body flooded with guilt. She and Harwin both expressed their concerns to Cregan privately. "He's carrying too much," Rhaenyra said one evening, her voice thick with worry. "I'm afraid he's going to break."

The day of the funeral arrived, a gray, overcast morning that seemed to mirror the heavy hearts of all who gathered. Jace was impeccably dressed in a black suit, his expression set in a mask of calm control. Cregan stood by his side, offering silent support.

The service was beautiful and heart-wrenching. Friends and family spoke of Luke's kindness, his bright smile, and the joy he brought to their lives. Jace delivered the eulogy with a steady voice, recounting fond memories and expressing the depth of his love for his younger brother. When he finished, sobs and sniffles could be heard throughout the whole church, but Jace’s face still didn’t falter. 

As the service drew to a close, Jace stood by the casket, greeting mourners and accepting their condolences. He was the picture of strength and composure, but Cregan could see the cracks beneath the surface. Each handshake, each hug seemed to chip away at the veneer of control Jace had built around himself.

When everyone proceeded to the burial site, Luke's body was placed over the area where it would be buried and lay forever. As the priest gave final blessing, Jace’s frame stiffened, his breaths shallowed slightly. Cregan was at his side, sensing the shift. He grabbed his husband's hand and started rubbing small circles on his back. He had seen this coming from the beginning. He only hoped now that he could soften the blow, if only a little bit. 

It was during the final moments of the burial, as the casket was lowered into the ground, that the storm finally broke. Jace stared at the graveside, the finality of it all crashing down on him. His breathing quickened even more, and he felt a tightness in his chest that made it hard to breathe.

“No.” Jace shook his head, pleading with every higher power he could think of. “Please, no!” he whimpered, not caring about what people thought about him. The pressure inside him had built up to an unbearable level. "I can't... I can't do this," he gasped, his voice breaking. "He's gone, Cregan! No....please! He can’t be gone!"

The tears finally came then, a torrent of grief and anguish that he had held back for far too long. He lurched forward, falling to the ground, sobs wracking his body. Cregan knelt beside him, wrapping his arms around Jace, holding him as he wailed. 

The mourners looked on with a mix of sympathy and understanding. Rhaenys and Corlys took it upon themselves to start herding the funeral guests toward the reception, knowing the best thing for the family was to be alone with each other right now. Rhaenyra and Harwin rushed to Jace's side, their own tears falling freely as they tried to comfort their son. For the first time since the accident, Jace allowed himself to truly feel the depth of his loss. Jace clung to Cregan, his cries growing softer, his screams turning into broken whispers, “Come back…. Luke I’m sorry…. Please come back.” 

The four of them sat like that for a while. Everyone else had gone, Laena had taken Jace’s other brothers to the reception, giving them time to just worry about Jace. Thirty minutes felt like a lifetime. Jace felt like he had cried away all the tears he had left, a terrible headache was brewing in the back of his skull. He picked up his head and looked around, realizing they were alone. “We should go to the reception now. They’re probably waiting for us.” He groaned, rubbing his burning eyes. 

Rhaenyra cupped her son's face gently, "Jace, you don't have to go. Everyone will understand."

Harwin nodded in agreement, "We're all hurting, son. And you’ve already done so much. If you just want to go home, it’s alright.” 

Jace looked to his husband for the answer. Cregan looked at him lovingly, saying, “I’ll do whatever you want, baby.” 

Jace thought for a moment, “I think we should go.” He decided.

“Are you sure?” Cregan asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” 

The reception was a blur for Jace. He felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Many people came to him again, offering even more condolences and asking if he was alright. He assured everyone that he was feeling much better now, but the ache in his heart and the pounding in his head were creeping up on him again. He wondered why he even bothered coming. Just then Helaena came up to him with a gentle smile.  

“Hi Jace.” She spoke softly

“Hi Helaena.” 

She looked at him as if she was trying to speak a language she didn’t know. She quickly gave up on words and held her arms out to him. He took them gratefully. After a full day of words and tears, her silent comfort somehow surpassed it all. Helaena often struggled with words, but in her touch was a power no one else in that room possessed. In that moment, Jace felt all of his pain melt away. For a split second, he felt whole again. He felt the one thing that had been missing since Baela called him that night, hope. They stayed like that for a little while. Jace breathed in her soothing herbal scent, finally feeling a sense of healing take fold. 

“Thank you so much Helaena.”

“For what”

“For being exactly what I need right now.”

Helaena smiled kindly and then left. Eventually everyone cleared out, leaving just the family. As they sat on the couch together, Jace struggled to come to terms with his outburst at the funeral. In hindsight, he felt embarrassed and ashamed for breaking down in front of everyone. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice filled with regret. "I didn't mean to make a scene."

Rhaenyra held him in her arms, her eyes filled with compassion. "Jace, you have nothing to apologize for. You lost your brother, not even a month ago. You have every right to grieve. If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. I never should have let you take on all that by yourself."

Harwin nodded in agreement. "Neither of us should have, Jace. We're a family, and we should support each other. You don't always have to be strong for everyone."

Cregan held his hand, his voice gentle but firm. "You've been carrying so much, sweetheart. It's time to let others carry some of that weight with you. We're all here for you now." He pressed a feather-light kiss to Jace’s temple. 

Jace looked around at his family, seeing the love and support in their eyes. He realized then that he didn't have to bear his grief alone. He didn't have to be the pillar of strength all the time. It was okay to lean on those who loved him. He felt tears come to his eyes again, but this time he let them flow freely. He grabbed on to his mother’s waist and cried slow, soft tears. Rhaenyra did the same until they both fell asleep in that position, their pain and exhaustion finally ceasing for the time being. 

Harwin and Cregan shared a knowing look before carefully unraveling the two and picking them up bridal style. Harwin couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the last time he held his wife this way. She had gotten too tipsy at a party and passed out in the car on the ride home. They were so young then, before the children, before their lives had truly begun. 

Cregan thought about the last time he held his husband this way. They had just gotten married. Jace was about to open the door to their apartment, when Cregan scooped him up and carried him across the threshold. It was a silly moment filled with laughter and so much love. They were still young, but Cregan knew from the moment they met, that he was going to spend the rest of his time on Earth and then some with the man sleeping in his arms. 

They carried their spouses up the stairs and laid them down on their respective beds. With the softest touch they remove as much of their uncomfortable funeral attire as they could before laying down next to them. They knew in the morning the pain would hit all over again, but for now they enjoyed this moment of peace in the eye of the storm. 

A Passion of Ice and Fire

Pairing: Jacaerys Velaryon/Cregan Stark

Chapter 5: Jace speaks to Baela about his time in Winterfell and what he discovered there. Their betrothal hangs in the balance.

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Jacaerys made the short trip to his cousin’s chambers. When he arrived, he found the door slightly ajar, with only a handmaiden inside. 

“Excuse me, have you seen the Lady Baela?” He asked her.

“She said she was going for a walk, Your Highness.” She responded sweetly.

“Thank you.” He said, leaving the room. He knew her normal route well. They had often walked it together. It was one the few times they could be fully open with each other. He walked until he found her sitting on a flat rock, looking out onto the sea. She reminded Jace of his mother so much in that moment, he knew she would make an amazing queen one day. That is if she still wished to marry him after hearing what he had to say. 

He approached her. “May I sit here?” He asked bashfully, Baela looked up at him and nodded, sliding over a little so they could share the most even part of the stone.

Jace took a deep breath, trying to find the words. “I’m sorry,” he began. 

“What for?” Baela countered. 

“For my callousness earlier today. I didn’t mean to be that way; I just didn’t know how to face you after what has happened.” 

“What do you mean Jace?” 

“While I was in Winterfell… I…. discovered something…. about myself.”

“Discovered something?"

"Yes. Something that will make see me...... differently."

"Jace, I don’t understand. Just speak plainly.” 

“I slept with another man.” Jace blurted out, shutting his eyes and feeling his cheeks flush from admitting his actions so bluntly. 

“What?” Baela questioned, in shock. 

Jace rushed to defend himself. “I did not do this to hurt you. It just…. happened. I don’t know how to explain it. I understand if you’re angry.” 

“I’m not angry. I am a bit stunned though.” she said, laughing a little. 

Jace visibly relaxed at her words. “I can understand that. I just hope this doesn’t change our friendship.” 

“Oh no, of course it doesn’t. You and I have been close friends for over a decade now. It will take much more than this to break us.” She said with confidence. 

“That’s good to hear.” Jace paused before continuing. “And what about our betrothal?”

“What of it?”

“Do you still wish to go through with it?” 

“Are my wishes anyone's concern? Do they even matter?” 

“They matter to me, Baela. My mother said she would speak with you if you were unhappy. She, of all people, understands our situation.” 

“Thank you Jace, that means a lot to me, but I think this betrothal is the best thing for everyone. And besides, our choice of spouse was never truly ours to begin with. Now our families and our legacy will be secured. We’d be far from the first royal spouses that didn’t love each other romantically. And at least we are fond of one another. I would much rather be married to a friend than any of the other possible suitors. Nothing but spoiled children fresh off of their wet nurses and fat grouses old enough to be my grandsire.” Baela relented. They shared a laugh together. Jace felt his body completely relax. Despite his worries, he had expected this kind of response from her. They both knew the importance of duty and the sad fact that marrying for true love was a privilege, not the custom. 

“You’re right. And I still wish to marry you as well. I think you will make an incredible queen one day. But I still wish for your happiness. You would be allowed to find your real love with whomever you wish." Jace said, gently taking her hand. “I only ask that you are careful who you lay with, if only for your own safety.” 

“You as well." Baela said, a touch of fear lacing her voice. "Especially after what happened to your father. Both of them.” 

“I know.” He acknowledged. They both knew the grave danger of such things. Jace sighed and rested his head on Baela’s shoulder. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds being the crashing of the waves against the beach. 

“Does this other man have a name?” Baela asked, breaking the silence. 

“Lord Cregan Stark.” Jace whispered, not lifting his head from her shoulder. He could feel Baela turn her head, her gaze burning right through him. 

“Lord Cregan Stark?” Baela asked, astonished. This story was getting crazier with every word. Jace picked his head up, hardly suppressing his smile after seeing Baela’s stunned expression. 

Quickly, her gaping turned into a mischievous grin. “Tell me everything!”

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A Passion of Ice and Fire

Pairing: Jacaerys Velaryon/Cregan Stark

Chapter 6: Jace tells Baela all about his love affair with Lord Cregan Stark.

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“Tell me everything!” Beala commanded. 

“Well,” Jace started, “I arrived in Winterfell early in the evening. The cold in the North is unlike anything we have here. I thought Vermax might retreat back to the Vale as soon as he felt snowfall, but we pushed on. When we arrived, I was met with Lord Cregan Stark himself.” Jace could feel a sparkle low in his stomach remembering the first time he met Cregan. “When I met him, he was so different from what I had expected. He was young, but his eyes looked so aged and hardened that I felt out of my depth asking him to swear loyalty to our cause. He must have seen my nervousness, because he greeted me swiftly before showing me to my quarters and making arrangements for Vermax. When he excused himself there was something softer, almost sweet, in his expression.” Jace recounted knowing his cheeks were betraying his attempts to hide his affection. 

“How did you realize he shared your fancy?” Baela interrogated. 

“On my second night’s stay, I couldn’t find sleep, so I decided to take a walk along the grounds. I walked until I came across the Glass Garden. They grow some of the most beautiful Winter Roses there. I decided to stay there and take a look at them. It just so happens that Lord Stark also wanted to inspect the garden that night. He found me there and he looked at me with such a kind, genuine look on his face that I thought I might burst into flames right then and there.” Baela couldn’t contain her giggles as she listened to Jace’s dramatics. “Would you like me to finish the story, or should I leave you to your ocean?” Jace threatened, lifting himself off the rock slightly to prove his point. 

“No!” Baela cried, still laughing. “I’ll stop, I promise.” She said, having no intention of stopping.

“As I was saying,” Jace continued, “We sat and talked for hours. I was so lost in the conversation; I didn’t even notice him inching closer to me. After a while, he snuck an arm around my waist. He looked at me like he was asking for permission. I gave him a smile and he pulled me close to him. He asked me if I enjoyed what he was doing, and I said yes. He brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear and kissed my cheek.” Jace paused, not sure how to continue from there. 

“And? What happened after that?” Baela eagerly questioned. 

“Well… after that we… we…. we began to… make love.” Jace stammered, his excitement replaced with a deep sense of awkwardness. 

“Oh.” Baela said, grinning widely. “Jacaerys Velaryon, you saucy minx.” She teased, leaning in closer as Jace turned to hide his burning face. 

“We need to head back, or we’re going to be late for supper.” Jace said, already getting up. As he pushed himself up, the light caught Cregan’s necklace, which caught Baela’s attention. 

“What’s this?” Baela asked, reaching out to touch the pendant. “Did he give this to you?” 

“Yes, he did. He gave it to me as a way to remember him. Remember what we shared. What we still share.” 

“You really do love him.” 

“Yes.” Jace stated without a second of hesitation. 

“I’m glad for you Jace." Baela grew serious, taking Jace's hands, "I hope you can hang on to this happiness.” 

My Random Thoughts

If you put these three brats in a room together, who's coming out on top and who's coming out in tears?